A Shadow of Time by Louann Carroll

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Pages: 282

 

From the Cover:

Kellyn O'Brien strives to create the perfect family. Then, disaster strikes. Her husband is dead. Three weeks later, she discovers her son is heir to Shadow Ley, a nineteenth century estate nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Reeling from Michael's death, Kellyn moves to Shadow Ley. Soon, the ordinary becomes the extraordinary: broken drinking glasses repair themselves, stair rails that were once old are now new, and suddenly the estate of Shadow Ley is not what it seems.

She turns to the local historian and learns of Sha' na ho bet, the angry fire god, bound forever to Earth. Native Americans tell her about Coyote, the Trickster who creates chaos out of order. Then the dreams begin with windows into past lives, hints of multidimensionality, and the promise of life beyond death.

Legends abound and so Shadow Ley, the home Kellyn had hoped would bring peace to herself and her children, becomes mired first in doubt, then in terror, and finally in love eternal.

Kellyn is torn between keeping her growing family safe, fed, and living in a home; and leaving the only place she's known as home. Without Michael, it's going to be hard, and it's already breaking her heart. All she's ever really wanted was a home and a family.

Shadow Ley looms in her future, but can she live there, so far from home? She decides, yes, if it will mean she doesn't have to worry about her children. But, there's something strange going on inside the house, and all the legends say Shadow Ley is hiding a secret.

Then, into her life strolls Dr. John Aldrich, and the dreams start... sometimes with Michael and sometimes with another, and sometimes with the reincarnated image of John... and she discovers more than life extending beyond the mortal existence, but planes of existence that she can't even begin to imagine.

The question becomes.... even though Shadow Ley holds her past and her present, can she, her children, and her new love, John, survive the entity existing within its walls? Will it contain her future? Or bring her death?

A Shadow of Time by Louann Carroll is aptly named, it is but a shadow of time shown through the multidimensional layers of existence. Are these layers, planes, existing all at the same time? Are the shadows of the past? Visions from another time? Kellyn is both disturbed and intrigued, the legends surrounding her new home are mystifying. And the old caretaker, he seems to appear from nowhere and disappears just as quickly. Then, the anxiety attacks start again, making her question even her ability as a mother. Can she do this? Bring a new baby into her life when, already, she's struggling to keep Scotty and herself together. She has to make the best of it, Shadow Ley and the fortune attached to it, is her only hope. When the enigmatic doctor walks into her life, she drawn, and not only by the man he is now, but the one who visits her dreams, can they be one in the same? As terrified as she is, she comes to realize that her only hope for peace is to discover the answers and the destiny of Shadow Ley.

A Shadow of Time is a mesmerizing read. It captured my attention and held on to the very last page, and I have to say, I love the cover, the timepiece fits the story perfectly. I found myself relating to the main character, Kellyn, both disturbed and intrigued. The being living within Shadow Ley has been trapped and denied for so long, and now it's hungry, in fact, it's starving. It craves human interaction, it craves the souls of those living within its walls, it craves what it can't have and demands. It promises Kellyn peace and happiness, and only brings chaos. John doesn't want Kellyn living in the old monstrosity, but he's almost as drawn to the place as she is. It wants to capture him as well, revealing truths from the past, but will it be their future or swallow them whole? Will it trap them, use them, or will they break free, slay the monster, and live happily ever after?

A Shadow of Time tells a twisting story, multidimensional, much like the planes existing in the story. It's also a bit of a ghost story, a bit of a horror story, and a bit of a love story. It's a tale of twisted realities, past and present interposed on each other. If you love a tale that makes you question reality, you'll love A Shadow of Time. I certainly did. Ghost story lovers need to pick this one you, you'll be surprised at the depth of the story that lingers after the pages are finished. Paranormal Romance lovers will also love this story of love and redemption. You'll want to give it a try.

Five out of five fairy kisses for this reader.

I received this book for review, and enjoyed every minute of it. All opinions expressed are my own.